It is with a heavy heart that we've received word from Tom Phillips on the passing of Lord Miko Hopaii (War Chief) Celamanka "Cela" Noftz, MSM the Indian Alliance Chief & Seneca Tribe Leader here at the CCC. He has been a member of the Club for just over 10 years, joining in March 2006. He spent his whole time here as the Seneca Tribe Leader and since September of 2013 he served as the Indian Alliance Chief also.

He was the type of member you wanted around, he was the type of officer you wanted in your army & he was the type of guy you wanted to know in the Clubs. He wasn't a guy who prolifically posted in the forums, but he has left an indelible mark on these Clubs. The impact of his loss will be felt for a long time to come. Every Club he was a part of he provided some sort of extra service beyond just playing games. He was always there, always willing to lend a hand, play in a tournament, help new officers, support new ideas, take on commands & whatever else might be needed. He was one of those "go to" people you could always rely on for help when you were in a bind, especially when someone was looking for an opponent to play. He was a big advocate & supporter of these Clubs and what they are about. He was truly committed to the hobby & our little world in it. He was always very friendly and I don't think I ever heard him say a negative thing, ever.

He amassed 730 games at 5 Clubs he was a member in. The CCC, the NWC, the ACWGC, the iNWC & the Blitz. At the ACWGC he was Major General Celamanka "Cela" Noftz serving as Division Commander of the 1st "Jackson's Foot Cavalry" Division, II "Jackson's" Corps, Army of Northern Virginia (ANV). At the NWC he served as Feldmarschall Celamanka Graf Noftz von Kärnten leading the Husaren-Kavallerie-Regiment Hessen-Homburg Nr. 4. At the iNWC he served as Comte de l'Empire Lieutenant-Colonel Celamanka Noftz, the Prince de Wagram in command as the Commandant de la I Réserve de Cavalerie Corps. One of the few guys who held commands in the different Clubs from regiment level on up to Army & Cabinet level. Something I am not sure he even realized, let alone the rest of us.

He had a combined total of just shy of 12,000 points in the 4 Clubs that listed points, with 3,000 as the average, something not easy in every Club. He garnered a total of 210 different awardings of the various orders, awards, ribbons & honors that the different Clubs had. He also played more campaigns in different games than I can count. He joined all of these Clubs close to 10 years ago and has served them all without hesitation and with consistency. He exemplified the spirit of what they are about.

He played 243 games in his time with the Club. 124 were with Tom Phillips alone. He enjoyed participating in the Bounty Award here and single handily contributed to the total of the Indian Alliance, having won it 12 times, just under half of the 33 total for the Indian Alliance and pretty much all of their winnings from 2009-2013. He had over half of all the Awards Center's Medals available for games played. He had 29 of the 49, including all 11 War of 1812 Medals, half of the Campaign 1776 Medals (6 out of 13), 8 of the 13 French & Indian War Medals, 1 of the 5 Mexican American-War Medals & 2 of the 5 Campaign Medals for War of 1812 and French & Indian War. He also had the Battlefield Completion Medal for having played over 50 games and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his dedication to the Club. He had over 100 victories to his name which garnered him the 4 different titles in the Indian Alliance, Vision Seeker (10 Major Victories), Prophet (20 Major Victories), Pine Tree Chief (35 Major Victories) and finally Lord (50 Major Victories). He had the Faith Keeper title for wins vs American, British & French players. He also had many Red Tail Hawk Feathers (Awarded for every 10 victories), as well as Bald Eagle Feathers (Awarded for Kill Bounty) and Golden Eagle Feathers (Awarded for Capture Bounty). He was pretty much awarded every Indian Alliance Army Award too. He was hands down the most active & decorated member of the Indian Alliance and for at least the last 5 years was the principle gamer on the roster. He played 46 Campaigns alone here at the CCC. He really did like the time he spent here with us.

He was a friend to many, probably none more so than Tom, which is why I thought it fitting the news came from him. Him & Tom played games in all these Clubs so much, I can't actually track how many. He was a friend to me as well, one of those guys that I really worked with a lot over the years that had a direct impact on the how I felt about this hobby and a direct impact on these Clubs themselves. As several folks have noted in email already, he was very personable too, offering words of support & always liked a good laugh, as well as a good battle cry to arms!

These posts, as sad as they are, I think are good in a way, as it allows folks to share things about the person who has passed, allowing the Club as a whole to see what the person was like here & see them for more than just a name.

His name & records will be retired with honors in the Club and written into the a new page that will be made for the Club called "That Place Beyond the Mountains" for those who have passed on. The Club Staff approved Cela to be posthumously promoted to Miko Hopaii (War Chief) for his years of dedication and service to the Club and the Indian Alliance. He will be the first member ever of the Indian Alliance to reach the top rank for it. (Site updates to be completed soon)

His son, Colonel The Lord Noftz of Monongahela (Robert Noftz) serves as the Commander of the 3rd (Highland) Brgade of the Right Wing (Royal North American Corps), the British Armies in America. A message of condolences will be sent to him & their family on behalf of the Club. Cela has several kids & grandkids, was from the Pittsburgh area & one time he told me his family was German, Irish & Polish and the family name was Noftzinski when they came to the country, shortened to Noftz.

I invite anyone who wishes to leave a post about Cela to do so. We've lost a good member!

Sad, indeed. He and I squared off often until I wandered from the club. A good player, always willing to give even a forlorn hope a try. And more times than not, he would turn that 'lost cause' into a smashing victory!

Steve Jones

_________________Brigadier General Steve JonesLord of Rhode Island23d Royal Welch Fusiliers

Yes, thank you. I did not think that he had passed as well, only from our gaming community. He and I had played several games and his absence deepened my grief over losing Celamanka. One never knows..he may one day reappear.

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